Motor vehicles are increasingly required to provide more versatility and functionality. One area where improved versatility and functionality is required is in a load area or luggage compartment of a motor vehicle sometimes referred to as the ‘trunk’ or ‘boot’ of the motor vehicle.
It is known to provide a load compartment floor that covers the structural floor of the motor vehicle within the load compartment. It is further known to provide a means for lifting the load compartment floor so as to permit small objects such as for example a tool kit to be stored out of the way below the load compartment floor in a spare wheel well of the motor vehicle.
With such a motor vehicle, even if the full volume of the load compartment is not required for everyday use, it is always present because the volume and size of the load compartment is fixed.
The versatility of the load compartment could be improved if the load compartment floor were to be height adjustable. For example if the load compartment floor were to be mountable in upper and lower load carrying positions, then either two smaller volume load carrying compartments could be provided, one above and one below the load compartment floor or a single large volume load carrying compartment above the load compartment floor could be provided.
This would provide increased flexibility for a user of the motor vehicle and would also enable fragile articles such as, for example, electronic devices to be carried in a separate compartment from heavy or bulky items thereby reducing the risk of damage from occurring to the fragile articles. In addition, the storage compartment located below the load compartment floor would have the advantage that objects stored therein can be kept separate from those stored above the load compartment floor so that, for example, wet or dirty clothing could be stored separate from dry or clean articles.
It is also advantageous for any such height adjustable load compartment floor to be moveable between its two height positions in a simple and non-strenuous manner and preferably by a user using only one hand.
It is an object of the invention to provide a height adjustable load compartment floor of simple construction and operation able to be easily moved between at least two differing heights.